Esteban Ocon has opened up about the difficult years that shaped his racing journey, revealing how he faced bullying and discouragement long before his Formula 1 debut. The Haas driver recalled being called a “gypsy” by classmates and even being told by his school principal to give up racing because “it’s a rich man’s sport.”The Frenchman’s story has long stood out among F1 drivers for its sheer resilience. His parents, Laurent and Sabrina, sold their house and family garage to fund his early karting career, choosing to live in a caravan and travel across Europe to keep his dream alive. Ocon’s father served as his mechanic and engineer, while his mother handled his schooling through France’s CNED distance education program.Ocon shared that his family often parked their caravan outside his school after returning from race weekends to save time. Speaking on the French YouTube channel Legend, he said:“Most of the time, we put the caravan there, but since it was already very late we saved time by parking in front of the school and then, I went straight to class. So no, I didn’t have many friends. I had a lot of people who said to me, ‘oh yeah, a gypsy, what are you doing here?’ And I have great respect for the traveling community. Besides, who sold us the caravan at the time.” (25:09 onwards)Esteban Ocon of Manor Racing before the 2016 F1 Grand Prix of Brazil. Source: GettyWhen asked whether the bullying angered him, Esteban Ocon admitted that it wasn’t easy to handle at such a young age.“Yeah, they were making fun of me. And then it wasn’t easy, obviously. Even the headmaster of the school at the time told me, ‘You have to stop doing that. You’ll get nowhere. It’s a rich man’s sport; there’s no point in you doing that,’ he told me. Well, Mr. Headmaster, thank you for ruining my dreams. But I succeeded. So there you go,” he added.Ocon went on to prove his critics wrong, winning the 2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship and the GP3 title before earning his F1 debut with Manor in 2016. His rise was anything but straightforward. While contemporaries like Max Verstappen jumped into F1 at 17, the Frenchman spent years with financial uncertainty.Today, as Haas F1’s lead driver, Esteban Ocon’s story is one of perseverance, shaped by the sacrifices his parents made and the faith they placed entirely in him.Esteban Ocon eyes a strong showing with Haas at United States GP in front of 'home' fansEsteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman of Haas F1 at Marina Bay Street Circuit. Source: GettyEsteban Ocon leads Haas into their second home race of the season at COTA, Austin. The Frenchman’s best finish here came back in 2017, in a sixth-place finish. He also set the fastest lap during the 2024 edition of the event. It will be the first United States GP for his teammate Oliver Bearman.The Kannapolis-based outfit enjoys strong local support in Texas and throughout the South. Speaking ahead of the race, he said, via team statement:“I’m excited to head back to Austin... It is such a cool city with so much energy, and I always look forward to coming back. This is one of our home races so we know the American fans will again provide an amazing atmosphere throughout the weekend. COTA is a fun but challenging circuit which always produces some entertaining racing.”The team will don a new red-white and blue livery as a tribute to its American roots for its home race.Ocon, with 28 points, has already surpassed his last season's tally of 23 with Alpine. But he has not scored in his last three races and has been outmatched by his rookie teammate in qualifying (8-10).